.' ? - I . I S'Ffdm Near and Far* | . To Baghdad by River. Not very much is known concerning 'the fighting in Mesopotamia, especially ? in Australia, and the graphic article on t the. subject from the pen of F. H. Wick ham, Bombay, which we republish from the 'Kia Qra Coo-ee,' will be read with great interest:— r Mespot. — at last — and we were steam ing up the mile-wide Shattal- Arab , look ing alternately at Mesopotamia, to the west, and Persia, to the east. After pass ing Fao, the date palms growing in mag nificent and regular profusion, by reason 11 of'*perfect irrigation, succeed in blotting out the immediate country-; but over their nodding heads, laid out in full view was a wide stretch of shining, clear water. Odds were freely laid by the vet erans that the water scene- didn't exist, and the newcomers, who could see the shadows in the idepths, just as freely rose to the bait. The view turned out to be ' a wonderful example of a mirage. ? We passed Muhammareh,- on the Per sia...

THE EDITOR'S DUGOUT. HINTS TO CERTAIN YOUNG LADY MOTORISTS. Should you notice a hole in the bottom of your gasoline tank, stop the . car at once and plug it up.. Chewing, gum is very good for this purpose. Before going out every morning, ex amine your tires to see that they are not all flat. Running on .flat tiires detracts ?froim one's speed; it is 'Stlso 'bad for (the tires. ' Before '.taking, out your .' car in the morning, start it up and let it nun ,for; an hour or so atVfull speed. This lubri cates the engine and gets it in fine shape for the. day. .:? ' , If your car knocks, there is probably something- the matter with the carbure tor. Take it out and examine iV closely; thein begin to experiment with_ it. .Try^it:-; in Various positions, changing the^needle valve and other parts to suit. You 'will be , astonished at :the number of things . . you can do' to a carburetor if you only persevere. -;» .* ? * ? A stranger arrived brie day in a' busy ?provincial town and gazed aroun...

A Word to Members of the League. '. ' Weigh in with your Wads.' The Returned Soldiers and Citizens Political Federation, has entered upon its v thirdyear -of activity. ? This federation links up the returned soldiers and loyal citizens ef Australia - , Into one Huge/political organisation which is in no waydllied to any party. .lt is , eut . for Australia, with Big Australian ideas. This tremendous factor in the political world was brought into being mainly by the work done by the Queensland League, which was the pioneer ef the move- I . ment. The work was done by ^elf-sacrificing returned soldiers and citizens at 1 heavy, cost te themselves. / It is new your opportunity te jein in this splendid progressive, movement. | The annual subscription te the Queensland Division ef the' Federation Is, for— ? Returned Soldiers ..' .. ✓. . . . ;; .. .. .. .. . . 1/-v 1 ] Citizens (males net eligible for service) .. .. '.. .. 2/S ' Citizens . (females) ... .. .. .. .. .... .. 1/- ) These rates ...

Physician Heal Thyself. In the ultimate political leaders' ap peal to the plain, common sense of the man in the street, and if he cannot be convinced there is very little hope that the success of this or that political party will be achieved. That reasoning applies to Liberalism as to Labour, applies to the former just as fully when it claims the name of Na tionalism as before it did so. . And after all there is something very much akin to the absurdity of a comic opera in people claiming support and ur ging unity on all, while facts show that they themselves are fighting like Kil kenny cats.' ; ; The man in the street, the mutable many who swing from one party to the other as common sense seems to dictate, naturally say 'Physician, heal thyself.' Shakespeare asked 'What's in a name?' but, after all, there is a good deal, for a name is a label and labels , are ! of importance!, especially in regard to bottles of poison. Nationalism in the plain, garden va riety meaning of the word, ...

tJmversal Training! It has often been pointed out that uni versal military training has a relation to the welfare of the Commonwealth' wholly apart from universal military ser vice in relation to defence. It is well that this phase of the sub ject should be kept in mind, for many persons in their anxiety to attain the goal of international peace, forget that in the training of the youth of the Com monwealth there is given the promise that physical development wjll alone be best promoted. And physical development is as neces sary a factor in national betterment as patriotism, for in truth it is a crucial fac tor in it. The question of universal training ne cessarily has a relation to others than those who in the war found themselves face to face with the momentous ques tion, 'Shall I volunteer?' . Thos£ for whom the subject has closest relation and whose fullest support it is necessary to obtain are the parents of Australian children. Once that support is gained and all misconception...

MY GOOD OLD PANTS! '{ i' - So now you're clone, my good old pants I . Done I Torn aad patched and quite, be , '? V..;' . ' \!t: yond The power o' man to mend; who grants You Peace at last! D'ye- mind the fond First\gaze when I, a Rookie, saw ? ^ Visions of curves of beauteous^race In your entrancing form; the avve With which I once did cleanse the place When I. of careless easy trend Had sat upon a candle-end? : Ye pants! The rents across the knees They even deserve to De extolled, StTCh honourable scars at these ? Were', caused when, on a stunt,, I' :??' crawled , ' And wormed my way (it ^as sweating ! work) , ? Beybnd you arid see where Johnny | _ held , . jl-Iis O-pip; ?past .the wounded Turk, j ? Into the trench that Johnny shelled. . {Ah, yes! That day were well recalled! , j- For Belts and Braces! How I crawled! . But.nQW,^ -longer* battlels din I Shall -\fliid; you ?; Sprawling on the i' -^grWiihd^;. iNo l'dh'g^ shall 'the ' Gypb'os' grin j From ear to ear when I turn round. ...

NEWS OF YOUR FRIENDS. A Weekly Budget to the Boys. Dear Comrades, As things have come about I do not know whether this letter to you who are on war service can legiti mately be continued much longer. Be lieve me, however, that it will be a great regret should it be decided that vit is no longer necessary as so many of you, ere this reaches the other side, will be either on your way home, to Aussie, or looking forward to beginning your voyage home. . .Since I last penned words to you, one .to wbom your, cause w;as sacred has .passed away, .for ^ Mr., E. S. Emerson, y whose energetic work for soldiers at the . -f front and on. their . return -has. surpassed ,that-; of most men, died on,, Friday , last. A.s -editor, of. the 'Leader,' Mr. Emerson found .one . .of .his greatest pleasures -in y/rtrTHrig fo r.-,you. and. I . am.sure that .one ? ? ?§,n9'7ay.rof you will share. in -thefeeling that the cau^e of the returned soldiers ,has lost one of. its most capable expon ents- and. earnest ...

Repatriation. One point has to be considered in re gard to : Australian; .politics. It is that the- most important subject that can be considered , just now is that of. repatria .? tion. . »- Everything that can be accomplished to provide .for returned soldiers must be done,'..andi all other theories, all other po litical projects must .be placed in abey ance until those who have gone forth in the- interests of the Commonwealth are cared for. Senator Millen realises this, for he has been i complaining that his. housing scheme in connection with the men who 1 come back. from war service has not been given: sufficient publicity. In. one., sense it must; be a source of satisfaction that the ^Minister for Repat riation has voiced his complaint. The - complaint, proves beyond doubt that the gena^Or realises the necessity for provid ing, for meri who have been at the front and providing as soon as possible. There is,;- however, another aspect to the subject j and that has relation to the ...

PAST AND PRESENT. Old tra-Sks are blurred by the, wind and ? sand, , _ : ? ' Old outpost trigs are hidden, And time atones for the bleaching bones Of horses we have' ridden. , ?'???'Grey silence reigns on treeless plains That fret, in summer haze, But out where* the batt'ry thunder rolls Swift hands' are heaping high the coals To feed an awesome blaze. Old -comrades sleep on the surging dunes With conquered miles behind them — We niarfced each loss on the sun-wrapped ; 'bross . , , . . . . .While. mates limped in to find them, Brut sadness dies in horsemen's eyes When anger snarls ahead — We ride full-speed in the ghastly strife That flings hot ire at laughing life And claims its toll of dead. Old fields o'er which the brigades have ? stormed By some are nigh forgotten; The fire-trencll sags where the old sand bags . Are grey with age, and .rotten. Though' foeman:fire yet jars our wire Inv zones that rock and flare, , Brave birds sing the old sweet melodies While death-shells croon ...

RETURNED SOLDIERS' AND CITIZENS' ( POLITICAL FEDERATION. To the '.Secretary, Queensland Division, Returned Soldiers' and Citizens' Political Federation, 331 Queen street, Brisbane:— Dear Sir,- — On behalf of the Victorian State Divi sion, I -wish to tender hearty .New Year ' greetings .to your organisation, and to express the hope that your ^ efforts this year will be crowned with great success. During the past fortnight we have been endeavouring, to solve the question of, acute unemployment amongst returned soldiers, which has for some time been, exercising our minds. You will have seen from Press reports that we had a depu tation, 300 strong, to the Acting Prime Minister, the .Chief Secretary, Minister for Repatriation, Minister for Lands and the 1 Chamber of Manufactures. In each in- | stance we urged that the principle of 1 preference to returned soldiers should be I given effect to and that if there was not j sufficient employment for everyone in the j community that the soldie...

.* ;.v «£♦ ***♦♦? *5* *♦* *♦* ♦♦♦♦J**!' «!►♦$►«£♦ ?£» «$» «J- «$» ^ ^ 't' ^ | » From N?jar and Far ® I GLEANINGS FROM THE PALESTINE FIELD. : : . \^Kia-Ora Coo-'ee.') ,* ''SO LONG, EGYPT I' ^ ? ^Wally was one o i many 'walking' ?ca|es, butf,- unlike, most .of the others, he \va3' 'about'- -.to appear before the three ? jutMjes Wtisti tilting the 'High Court' for Australia,' sitting (in camera) in Egypt. In the, little room, just before him, they awaited his appea^nr.e. Signs, of an inward; conflict of emotions, I now raging — try to hide them as he . ( would — appeared . on his usually care-free features. He had., faced, many, greater and far more dangerous ordeals, and met ??them unflinchingly, and, in his own calm way was apparently .unaffected. H-e had grappled, instinctively almost, with the many changes and chances that were his ? ? lot, in a manlier most fitting each occa . ^ sion, He stepped into the little room, and was alone with the three judges. Wally ? was unafraid ; but,...

Everybody Tells You v ' .. ? ? ? ? — - — — ? ' ; I That Winter Coats for Ladies' will be particularly hard, if not impossible, to procure this season. This is not our experience. Whilst prices aTe only a trifle higher than pre-war times, we have the most magnificent shoeing of Ladies* Winter ] 6oats and Furs that we have held for many a day. We can't describe them here. They are all different. No two alike. Come and see them, and when you make a purchase ' ASK FOR YOUR WAR STAMPS. ANNAND &amp; BOOTH